Choosing your race has nothing to do with your starting city-state (which is actually chosen by your first class) as one might think. While there is a statistical difference between each of the races, it has been noted by Square Enix developers that the stat differences will make very little difference to your character at max level. Because of this, it may only be worthwhile choose your race based on stats for those "min / maxers" who want to eek every little stat bonus they possibly can out of their characters. For example, you may choose the Elezen Duskwight for that high 23 Intelligence starting stat, which is 4 points above the Roegadyn Hellsguard that you were thinking of otherwise. However, as you go beyond level 10 you start getting bonus stat points that you can apply to whatever stat you choose. Additionally, your character will automatically gain stat points depending on which class you are playing. By the time you hit level 20 on a Thaumaturge, your Intelligence stat will likely be somewhere around 75. The difference in DPS between a 75 and 71 is minimal at best, and that's only at level 20. By level 50 the difference is going to be nearly invisible. Take into consideration where you end up using your bonus points as you level, and that makes the difference even less.

Overall you want to pick your character's race based on how it looks - as you are going to largely be looking at the same character for most of your time in FFXIV. I will explain this more in detail lately, but due to how the class system is set up there is very little reason to create alts in FFXIV. Personally I would recommend that you create one of each race that you "might" be interested in, and run around with that character for a few levels. Character creation shows a decent amount of what you can expect your character to look like, but once you start playing you will notice different things about how the character moves and how they look wearing different armor types. I know this sounds small, but you really don't want to end up with a character you can't stand looking at later.

Part 2: Character Stats

Character stats, as mentioned previously, are largely tied to the class that you are currently playing. You can customize your character to some extent by using the bonus points after level 10. However, a majority of your points will be based on your class. For example: if you have a level 10 Gladiator you will notice that your Strength stat is inherently higher. Conversely, if you had a level 10 Thaumaturge you will notice that your Intelligence stat is higher. Descriptions for what each stat "does" are listed below:

Strength (STR): Increases melee attack power and the percentage of damage mitigated by block and parry.

Dexterity (DEX): Increases ranged attack power and the chance of blocking or parrying an attack.

Vitality (VIT): Increases maximum HP.

Intelligence (INT): Increases attack magic potency.

Mind (MND): Increases healing magic potency.

Piety (PIE): Increases maximum MP.

Fire: Reduces the amount of damage received from fire-aspected attacks.

Ice: Reduces the amount of damage received from ice-aspected attacks.

Wind: Reduces the amount of damage received from wind-aspected attacks.

Earth: Reduces the amount of damage received from earth-aspected attacks.

Lightning: Reduces the amount of damage received from lightning-aspected attacks.

Water: Reduces the amount of damage received from water-aspected attacks.

Accuracy: Increases the accuracy of physical and magical attacks.

Critical Hit Rate: Increases the probability that an attack will deal critical damage.

Determination: Increases the amount of damage dealt by all attacks and the amount of HP recovered by spells.

Parry: Increases the probability that an attack will be blocked or parried.

Magic Defense: Reduces the amount of damage received from magical attacks.

Slashing: Reduces the amount of damage received from slashing attacks.

Piercing: Reduces the amount of damage received from piercing attacks.

Blunt: Reduces the amount of damage received from blunt attacks.

Morale: Reduces the amount of damage received from other players' attacks. (PvP stats).

Part 3: Choosing Your Class

Classes are easily the most distinctive and interesting part about FFXIV: A Realm Reborn. While some other games allow you to have multiple specs and combine parts of classes, FFXIV goes about ten steps further and allows you to play every single class in the game - all on one character. To further blow your mind on this, it is literally as simple as changing the weapon in your character's main hand. No need to create an alt character or even run back to a main city-state to find a class trainer or something. Just simply change your weapon (while not in combat), and away you go. I should mention however that you need to first unlock that class by talking to the respective Guildmaster in one of the main three cities in the game. This is done by following your main quest line in the game, and you should be able to change classes somewhere between level 10 and 15. Once the class guilds are all unlocked, you never have to redo the requirement quest line again. In other words, you can finish the quest line around level 10-15 and then promptly run to the various class guilds and unlock every other class in the game.

The first class you choose will also determine for you what starter city-state you will begin the game in. Each of the class guilds can only be found in one particular city-state. The breakdown is as follows:

Ul'dah: Gladiator, Pugilist, Thaumaturge

Gridania: Archer, Conjurer, Lancer

Limsa Lominsa: Arcanist, Marauder

It is important to note that while most MMORPG's nowadays have a crafting system set up as skills within your character, FFXIV treats combat and crafting as entirely separate classes. Thus if you want to start out your mining craft, you won't be running around as a "Marauder" anymore - you will fully change into a level 1 "Miner". You will level your Miner by physically mining while using your mining tool and mining gear. In addition, your class level will be determined by harvesting / crafting items as opposed to defeating enemies. As with the combat classes, the gathering / crafting guilds can only be found in specific cities:

Carpenter: Crafters who work with wood to fashion a range of weapons and armor.

Blacksmith: Crafters who work with metal to forge a variety of weapons and tools.

Armorer: Crafters who beat metal into tools and protective gear.

Goldsmith: Crafters who work with precious metals and gemstones to fashion accessories and other adornments.

Leatherworker: Crafters who work with animal hide to create armor and other leather goods.

Weaver: Crafters who weave cloth and textiles into garments.

Alchemist: Crafters who work with myriad materials to fabricate crystals, medicine, and other useful adventuring supplies.

Culinarian: Masters of cuisine who can conjure up magnificent banquets out of the humblest ingredients.

Disciples of the Land

Miner: Gatherers who mine the earth for minerals.

Botanist: Gatherers who harvest plants and timber from forest and vale.

Fisher: Gatherers who fish the rivers and streams.

Disciples of War

Archer - The Archer starts in Gridania. As a Disciple of War, Archers make use of medium armor such as leather, chain and cloth. As the name suggests, this class excels in the use of a bow and enjoys a number of ranged attacks which can be used even while in motion. This class places great importance on the Dexterity attribute. The archer is a powerful damage dealing class and is capable of inflicting bursts of damage to a single target. This class eventually opens up the ability to progress to the Bard job.

Gladiator - The Gladiator starts out in Ulâ€™Dah. As a Disciple of War they make use of the heaviest plate armors, swords and shields. The Gladiator is a tank class, designed to survive high amounts of damage and to keep enemies away from his or her companions. The gladiator places great emphasis on the Strength and Vitality attributes. Tanks are frequently in high demand and Gladiators thus find groups quite rapidly through Duty Finder. This class eventually opens up the ability to progress to the Paladin job.

Lancer â€“ The Lancer starts in Gridania. As a Disciple of War, they make use of medium armor such as chain and scale and uses a Lance or Spear. This class is a primary Damage Dealer and is capable of inflicting massive single target damage. The Lancer places great emphasis on the Strength attribute. This class eventually opens up the ability to progress to the Dragoon job.

Marauder - The Marauder starts in Limsa Lominsa. As a Disciple of War, they make use of the heaviest of armors and great axes. Like the Gladiator, the Marauder is a primary tank class, able to survive intense damage and to protect friends from harm. The Marauder succeeds due to his or her massive health pool and formidable area of effect damage dealing and self healing capabilities. Tanks are always in high demand for parties and typically find groups more rapidly in Duty Finder. This class eventually opens up the ability to progress to the Warrior job.

Pugilist â€“ The Pugilist starts in Ulâ€™Dah. While they are a Disciple of War, the Pugilist uses light armor such as cloth and leather. The Pugilist is a Damage Dealer and makes use of Strength as a primary attribute. This class uses a mix of stances to generate impressive offensive contributions to the team. The class eventually opens up the ability to progress to the Monk job.

Disciples of Magic

Conjurer - The Conjurer starts in Gridania. As a Disciple of Magic they make use of cloth armor, staffs and wands. The class is very focused on Mind, but also makes use of Intelligence attributes. The conjurer is the primary healing class in the game, their magic abilities provide the strongest healing and recovery magic in the early game. Conjurers are in high demand for party play and generally find groups in Duty Finder more rapidly than any other class. This class eventually opens up the ability to progress to the White Mage job.

Arcanist â€“ The Arcanist starts in Limsa Lominsa. As a Disciple of Magic, Arcanists use cloth armor and generally focuses on the intelligence, mind, and piety attributes. The Arcanist is Damage and Healing focused. They also makes use of a summoned companion, the primal Carbuncle. The Arcanist class eventually opens the option of progressing to either the Scholar or Summoner job â€“ as of this time it is the only class that is able to progress to two different jobs.

Thaumaturge - The Thaumaturge starts in Ulâ€™Dah. As a Disciple of Magic, the Thaumaturge makes use of light cloth armor, cudgels, staffs, or scepters. The Thaumaturge is a Damage Dealer, capable of inflicting potent area of effect damage. Additionally, the Thaumaturge is able to stop enemies in their tracks using the Sleep spell. This class eventually opens up the ability to progress to the Black Mage job.

Armoury Bonus

When you unlock your second class, a help window is shown that many people skip right over. The screenshots below show two very important pages of information regarding how your character level advances. Basically the "Armoury Bonus" gives you a bonus to your experience points the farther your current class is below your highest level class. For example, if your highest class is 15 and you just started out a new level 1 class, you will notice that there is a 50% bonus to your experience. This bonus goes down the closer you get to your highest class, but it is extremely helpful. It doesn't take a genius to recognize that this is Square Enix's attempt to lessen the amount of "grind" that players might fear with a multi-class system. This bonus goes a long way to easing the leveling process; especially considering that you cannot repeat your completed quests when on a new class.

While the gathering and crafting classes are relatively what one would expect them to be, the combat Classes / Jobs are a bit more complicated. To put this in the simplest terms possible, a "Job" is essentially a specialized "Class". In FFXIV, you must unlock these Jobs by reaching certain levels in other specific classes. For example, to become a "Black Mage", you have to be level 30 in Thaumaturge and level 15 in Arcanist. This is further improved by the fact that some of the classes can be used to unlock more than one advanced Job. Reaching level 15 in Conjurer is going to be my first goal, as that is the requirement for both Paladin (with 30 Gladiator) and later White Mage (with 30 Conjurer and 15 Arcanist).

It is also important to note that due to the nature of Jobs, they are somewhat different in how the leveling works. When you level up your Job, you are at the same time leveling the main class within that Job. The other way around works the same - as you level the base class you level the associated Job(s) simultaneously. For example, say you unlock your Paladin with 30 Gladiator and 15 Conjurer. As you play your Gladiator and hit level 31, your Paladin level will also be level 31. If you later decide you want the special skills of your Paladin and hit level 35; you will notice that your Gladiator has automatically reached level 35 as well.

Paladin - Starts from GladiatorThe paladin job sacrifices maximum HP, but this is compensated by way of greatly enhanced defense as well as the ability to cast healing magic. Valiant by nature, a paladin can shield his comrades from blows, making him the unyielding rock upon which a partyâ€™s defense is built.

Requirements:Level 30 gladiator and level 15 conjurer.As a gladiator, talk to Lulutsu in the Coliseum (Gladiators' Guild), located in the Ul'dah Merchant Strip (5,5). Complete the job quest â€œPaladin's Pledge,â€ and receive the Soul of the Paladin.

Monk - Starts from PugilistThe monk job adds the power of wind to the elemental repertoire of the pugilist, and in marrying offense and defense in attacks, improves upon the pugilistâ€™s capacity to deal explosive damage.

Requirements:Level 30 pugilist and level 15 lancer.As a pugilist, talk to Gagaruna of the Platinum Mirage (Pugilists' Guild), located in the Ul'dah Merchant Strip (5,4). Complete the job quest â€œBrother from Another Mother,â€ and receive the Soul of the Monk.

Warrior - Starts from MarauderWarriors have the honor of possessing the highest HP of any class or job. Thriving on the enmity of his foes, there is no fiercer fighter on the field of battle.

Requirements:Level 30 marauder and level 15 gladiator.As a marauder, talk to Neale of the Astalicia (Marauders' Guild), located in the Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks (4,7). Complete the job quest â€œPride and Duty (Will Take You from the Mountain),â€ and receive the Soul of the Warrior.

Dragoon - Starts from LancerIf lancers are at their best when on the attack, then dragoons were born to do nothing but. In addition to enhanced attack power, dragoons are also able to take to the skies for short periods of time and rain down attacks on their enemies from above.

Requirements:Level 30 lancer and level 15 marauder.As a lancer, talk to Haurtefert of the Wailing Barracks (Lancers' Guild), located in Gridania (8,2). Complete the job quest â€œEye of the Dragon,â€ and receive the Soul of the Dragoon.

Bard - Starts from ArcherThe bard is a versatile job that performs songs to bolster various attributes of his companions. Coupled with his ability in battle, this enables the bard to carry his own weight in either an offensive or defensive capacity.

Requirements:Level 30 archer and level 15 pugilist.As an archer, talk to Georjeaux of the Quiver's Hold (Archers' Guild), located in Gridania (8,5). Complete the job quest â€œA Song of Bards and Bowmen,â€ and receive the Soul of the Bard.

White Mage - Starts from ConjurerWhite Mages are powerful casters whose talents enable them to fully restore the HP of all party members in a mere instant. Beyond healing, they can also apply their MP towards attack magic, granting them extremely powerful offensive abilities.

Requirements:Level 30 conjurer and level 15 arcanist.As a conjurer, talk to Soileine of the Stillglade Fane (Conjurers' Guild), located in Gridania (2,1). Complete the job quest â€œSeeds of Initiative,â€ and receive the Soul of the White Mage.

Black Mage - Starts from ThaumaturgeSpecializing as a Black Mage serves to further strengthen class characteristics and also increases MP. Black Mages are able to invoke devastating spells of ancient magic and subdue multiple enemies with a single cast.

Requirements:Level 30 thaumaturge and level 15 arcanist.As a thaumaturge, talk to Yayake in the Arrzaneth Ossuary (Thaumaturges' Guild), located in the Ul'dah Merchant Strip (4,5). Complete the job quest â€œHearing Voices,â€ and receive the Soul of the Black Mage.

Scholar - Starts from ArcanistScholars have unique command over spell-weaving faeries, utilizing the creatures' magicks to heal the wounded and bolster the strength of their allies. Specialize in healing and buff abilities.

Requirements:Level 30 arcanist and level 15 conjurer.As an arcanist.. unknown at the moment..

Summoner - Starts from ArcanistMages who not only have the power to summon the primals, but also the means to transmute the primals' essences, thus binding them to their will. Specialize in dealing damage and controlling pets.

Requirements:Level 30 arcanist and level 15 thaumaturge.As an arcanist.. unknown at this time..

Jobs are equipped onto your character via a "Soul Gem" that you can receive upon reaching the required levels in the specified classes. Once you have the minimum experience levels, you can speak to the Guildmaster of the higher class and complete the request to unlock your new Job. At any time you can un-equip your Job's soul gem to return to your normal class. As with the normal classes, you can unlock every single Job on one character if you would like. Based on our current understanding, it seems like the intention is that you use the specialized Jobs for specific situations or parties, and otherwise level with your chosen class(es). The reason for this is due to the cross-skill system, which is our next topic of discussion. Classes have more cross-skill slots that can be used at once, and thus are more versatile than the specialized Jobs.

Part 5: The Armoury Chest

One of the first questions players ask when looking at so many class options is, "How am I supposed to hold all of that gear?". The FFXIV devs certainly saw that coming, so they devised a system that solves this supposed problem quite well. Enter, "The Armoury Chest" - or as some people refer to it, simply "The Armoury". Essentially the Armoury is a mobile storage window that specifically holds all of your character's weapons and armor (for all classes).

The Armoury Chest can be opened at any time either by clicking on the appropriate button on the UI, or by pressing Ctrl+I. Within the Armoury are separate tabs for every weapon and armor slot on your character. As the Armoury is completely separate from your character's inventory slots, there is no need to worry about your armor sets taking up valuable inventory space.

Once you have unlocked your second class, you will also gain access to the "Gear Set" system. What this allows you to do is set up a specific set of armor / weapons for a class, and then save that gear set to your hotbar. While you are playing you can swap out your class and entire set of gear with the simple push of a button.

Part 6: Skills and Cross-Class Skills

The skill system in FFXIV was designed specifically to work with the multiple-class concept on the same character. As with any MMORPG, as you level your class you gain abilities unique to that particular class / character type. Due to the advanced class system of FFXIV, there are cross-class skills as well. While not every skill is available to be used on another class, you can use some of your skills even when you switch to a new class / job. Here are the restrictions on how the Cross-Class Skill system works:

Once you have more than one class unlocked, you will have a cross-skill slot for every ten levels of your current class. Thus from level 1-9 you will have one slot, from level 10-19 you will have two slots, and so on.

You must have unlocked the cross-skill on the class that it originally comes from. In other words, you cannot cross-slot a skill unless it has already been unlocked through normal experience / leveling on the originating class.

"Traits" cannot be used for cross-class skills. If you have a skill that is enhanced by a separate trait - only the basic version is used as the cross-class skill.

While a Class can use skills from all of the other unlocked Classes, Jobs are specialized and thus can only use skills from three specific classes. For example, a Lancer can use abilities from any of the other Classes, but a Dragoon can only use skills from Lancer, Pugilist, and Archer. Here is the most updated list available:

Bard: Archer, Conjurer, Lancer

Paladin: Gladiator, Conjurer, Marauder

Dragoon: Lancer, Marauder, Archer

Warrior: Marauder, Gladiator, Pugilist

Monk: Pugilist, Gladiator, Lancer

Summoner: Arcanist, Thaumaturge, unknown

Scholar: Arcanist, Conjurer, unknown

White Mage: Conjurer, Thaumaturge, Arcanist

Black Mage: Thaumaturge, Arcanist, Archer

Due to the restrictions above - it may at first glance appear that the cross-class skill system will be very minor. From what I have seen in playing FFXIV: ARR thus far though, the cross-class skills can be extremely useful. For example: if you were playing on a Thamaturge you generally would not have any instant-cast skills. The level 4 skill "Aero" is unlocked by the Conjurer, and can be cross-slot into your Thaumaturge. Now you have an instant-cast dot that can be used to tag mobs or to cast while retreating. There are a number of classes that compliment each other by what cross-class skills are available. For further information on specific cross-class skills, a GoogleDocs list can be found at: http://goo.gl/zgJdEf

Part 7: Aetheryte Travel System

One of your first tutorial quests brings you to the Aetheryte Plaza, and shows you how to attune (unlock) that travel point. Your first attunement will award you with the "Return" ability, which allows you to recall to whatever Aetheryte point that you have attuned as your "Home" point.

You can use "Return" once every 15 minutes, so the cooldown is fast enough that you don't need to really worry about using it.

In addition to "Return", during the tutorial quests you will also get the "Teleport" ability. While this ability has no timer / cooldown, it does however cost Gil (in-game currency) to travel to the various points that you have unlocked.

There is a main Aetheryte crystal in each of the three main cities, and one set up in each of the main towns spread throughout the world.

Other than the main Aetheryte crystal, there is an "Aethernet Shard" system in each of the three main cities. What this Aethernet allows you to do is to unlock specific points within the city-state that can be traveled to using the Aethernet Shard closest to you. Simply walk up to one of the Aethernet Shards and right click on it, and the UI window will pop up showing you the unlocked destinations that are available. Unlocking the Aethernet Shards is a *huge* deal, as it will save you a lot of traveling time compared to running around on foot.

While traveling from non-ctiy areas to the main cities is not overly expensive using Teleport, it does cost a significant amount to travel between each of the main three cities (Ul'dah, Gridania, and Limsa Lominsa). Generally if you want to travel between the three main cities, your best bet is to use the Airship. You will unlock the Airship by following your main questline around level 15 or so. You can use the Airship to travel between each city-state for free, which obviously makes it a more attractive option compared to paying Gil for Teleports. The downside of course is that you have to already be in a city-state to use it. The Airship Landing spot can be found by looking at your map when in the main cities, and is usually reached by a lift (elevator).

Once your class reaches level 20, you will unlock the ability to ride mounts such as Chocobos. In addition to being a faster method for moving from place to place, mounts can also serve as pets while in combat.

To obtain your first Chocobo mount, you need to complete the story line quest called â€œThe Company You Keepâ€œ. Following the story line quests after this you will choose a Grand Company (more on what "Grand Companies" are later). Each of the three Grand Companies has the same quest entitled â€œMy Little Chocoboâ€. To complete the quest and obtain your Chocobo mount, you have to obtain 1,000 Grand Company tokens and trade them with to the Quartermaster for a chocobo voucher. These tokens are obtained by completing quests for that particular group.

If you purchased the Collectors Edition of FFXIV, you will automatically receive a different type of mount - the Coeurl. It has not yet been confirmed if this particular mount will only be for riding, or if it will also be useable in combat.

Based on current information, there are at least 7 different types of mounts in FFXIV: ARR. However, the Goobbue mount is apparently only available to players who obtained this mount in FFXIV 1.0 (before A Realm Reborn). It is unknown if this will ever change for FFXIV 2.0 players.

The rideable mounts can also be equipped with different sets of armor. For example, the Collectors Edition of FFXIV: ARR includes some pretty awesome looking Behemoth Armor for your Chocobo.

It is also possible to "rent" Chocobos from the Chocobo Stables NPC's found in the main cities and towns. These rental chocobos are timed and cost Gil to rent. It is also important to note that rental Chocobos are by default slower than a player-owned mount.

Part 9: Grand Companies

A "Grand Company" is FFXIV's version of a NPC faction, and there are three options for the character to choose from:

Grand Company Name: The Order of the Twin AdderLocation: GridaniaRecruiter NPC: First Serpent Lieutenant FulkeDirections: Accessible from the Lotus Gardens entrance situated at Gridania (4,4). Choose â€œAddersâ€™ Nestâ€ when prompted to select a destination.

Grand Company Name: The Immortal FlamesLocation: Ul'dahRecruiter NPC: First Flame Lieutenant AubreyDirections: Accessible from the Dunes entrance situated at Ul'dah Merchant Strip (4,4). Choose â€œHall of Flamesâ€ when prompted to select a destination.

General Information:

In addition to the locations noted above, any of these three Grand Companies (GC) can be joined from the market area of their respective city-states.

The city-state that you begin the game in does not determine which GC you will belong to. Any class is free to join any GC, regardless of what city-state they start out in.

Level 22 in either a Disciple of War class or Disciple of Magic class is required to join a GC (gathering / crafting classes are not eligible by themselves).

You can only be a recruit of one GC at a time. If you later choose to join a different GC, all ties to your previous GC are severed.

As a recruit, you are not completely locked into your chosen Grand Company. However, once you have fully enlisted with a GC (i.e. "Pledging Allegiance") via the quest at level 25, you can never join a different GC. This is based only on current information, and may be subject to change.

When Faction vs. Faction vs. Faction PvP is introduced, you will be assigned to the side of your Grand Company.

The Grand Companies in FFXIV are more important than your average faction in another MMORPG. Not only do they determine part of your main quest line, but they also impact:

- Mount Quest (though the same quest is available to all factions)- Purchasing Mount Armor- Access to start a Free Company (guild) in FFXIV (members who join the Free Company can be from any GC)- Sanctioning Gear (temporary item buffs)- Additional Crafting Missions (Grand Company Levequests)- Additional Gathering Missions (Grand Company Levequests)- Additional Combat Missions (Grand Company Levequests)- Instanced Raid Quests for large groups- Purchasing Grand Company specific gear- Grand Company Hunting Log (separate from your class-based Hunting Logs)- Aetherpass (item that allows you to travel to the GC's city-state aethernet)- Additional rewards from participating in a F.A.T.E.

It is important to note that while each GC has their own specialty quests, they do not in any way limit your characters access to the non-GC quests and events out in the FFXIV world. According to our current information, it does not appear that the GC-accessed raids require all party members to be from the same GC. They should only require the one player starting the raid quest to be part of a particular GC. The Grand Company Levequests mentioned in the above list will be better explained later in this guide.

Part 10: Linkshells and Free Companies

There are two main player-created social aspects to use in FFXIV: Linkshells and Freecompanies.

A Linkshell is essentially a social group that largely consists of a shared chat channel between members.

Linkshells can be created at any level in one of the three main city-states.

To chat in a Linkshell channel, the hotkey is /L.

Can be used for a variety of different chat purposes, including a private Linkshell used by Guilds for Officer Chat.

You can be a member of more than one Linkshell, up to a total of 8 different Linkshells.

No "Linkshell Pearl" item is required for Linkshells, as it was in the original FFXIV 1.0.

The only ranks available in a Linkshell are Master (whomever started the Linkshell), Leader (officer rank able to invite), and Member (basic).

A Free Company is FFXIV's version of a Guild.

Free Companies can be created after level 25 has been reached.

To create a new Free Company, you must speak with your current Grand Company Administrator NPC (GC Headquaters).

You can only be in one Free Company at a time.

When creating the Free Company, you will choose both a full name and a 1-5 digit "tag" that will be worn by your members (i.e. "[LOL]").

It costs 15,000 Gil to start up a Free Company, and requires the "signatures" of 3 other starting members.

There is no Grand Company restriction for joining a Free Company. A character from any GC can join the same Free Company.

Establishing a Free Company also grants you access to a special Free Company Forum on The Lodestone site.

Ranks and Permissions can be set by the Free Company Master.

The Free Company UI Window also has a "Company Board" that functions as a message board in-game.

The Hunting Log (hotkey: H) is a very important tool that assists your classes with leveling. As you can see in the screenshot above, the Hunting Log is a list of mobs that you will receive a bonus for killing in the world. As you complete each entry of mobs you will get a large EXP bonus, which makes the Hunting Log very important to leveling up your various classes.

There are increasing "ranks" for your hunting log. As you complete all 10 of the entries for your current rank, you will receive an additional EXP bonus. The Hunting Log then unlocks the next Rank for you to begin working on.

The Hunting Log is specific to each class. For example, if you got up to Rank 3 on your Thaumaturge and then switched to your new Gladiator class, the Hunting Log would also switch and show Rank 1 Hunting Log for Gladiator. This is very helpful as you no longer need to worry about "saving" big exp bonus quests for some of your lower level classes.

When targeting mobs, you will notice that the Hunting Log targets all have a special icon above their name. This icon will disappear once you have completed that entry in your hunting log. Here is what the icon will look like:

Part 12: The F.A.T.E. System, Guildleves, and Guildhests

The F.A.T.E. System:

F.A.T.E. stands for "Full Active Time Event".

These F.A.T.E.'s will randomly pop up in any non-instanced area, and function as dynamic events that can be joined by any player in the area.

When a new F.A.T.E. begins, a broadcast message is sent to all players in the zone.

F.A.T.E.'s can be joined by any player who enters the designated area (shows up on the zone map), but your rewards for completing the event will be decreased if your class level is too high or too low for the event.

F.A.T.E.'s are timed events, and experience / Gil rewards are given to all participating players at the end of the event.

There are two general types of F.A.T.E.'s: one will spawn a number of different mobs, and the other will spawn one "Notorious Monster" (boss mob).

Based on current information, there are between 5 and 10 different F.A.T.E.'s in each zone.

Some F.A.T.E.'s will also spawn friendly NPC's who fight alongside the players. For example, one special F.A.T.E. has the character Lightning from FFXII, and you may even be awarded with a special gear set if you successfully complete this event.

Guildleves:

A Guildleve grants a character access to a special "levequest" to be completed. Some are out in the field, and some can be completed within the city limits.

Each player begins the game with 8 levequest "allowances", that gives the player the ability to pick up a levequest from a Guildleve NPC. Four new allowances are added every 12 hours (Real Time), and a character can hold a total of 99 allowances at a time.

You can view your current levequests by opening the Journal (hotkey: J).

There are four main types of levequests: Local, Regional, Faction, and Grand Company.

- Local levequests are picked up from Guildleve NPC's scattered throughout the game. They often can be completed in the immediate area.- Regional levequests are obtained from the Guildleve NPC's located in the three main city-states- Faction levequests are obtained from Guildleve NPC's in the three main city states, using "faction credits" given as rewards for Regional levequests.- Grand Company levequests are obtained from GC Officers scattered throughout the city-states.

Within each type, there are three general classifications of levequests: Battlecraft (PvE fighting quest), Fieldcraft (gathering quest), and Handcraft (crafting quest).

Local, Regional, and Faction: Battlecraft levequests can be completed either solo or with a party. Grand Company levequests are solo only. Note that if you are a member of a party that completes a Battlecraft levequest and you contributed to it, you will also get credit for completing the levequest. This is true even if you didn't pick up the levequest on your own.

Levequest targets can only be seen by members of the levequest holder's party. In other words, you cannot steal credit for another player's levequest.

After completing a levequest, you must return to the Guildleve NPC to turn the levequest in and receive your reward(s).

When a levequest is completed, a teleportation window will pop up that allows you to instantly teleport back to the NPC who gave you the levequest. Note that this is optional and does not have to be used. The teleportation is free and does not count against your Recall timer.

After you have completed 6+ levequests, you are eligible to receive a "bonus" levequest from the Guildleve NPC. Choose "Leve History Evaluation" and you will be given a bonus levequest that has increasing rewards depending on the difficulty and number of completed levequests in your journal leve's history. Note that this bonus resets after successfully completing the bonus level quest and collecting the reward.

Generally, the rewards for completing levequests are going to be items, experience points, and / or Gil. Grand Company levequests however will reward you with GC Tokens.

If you fail a levequest, you have the option to retry the levequest by selecting that option in your Journal (hotkey: J). This still uses one levequest allowance.

Guildhests:

A Guildhest is essentially a group-based guildleve quest. They are party-based and cannot be solo'd. The main purpose of a Guildhest is to help players learn the party mechanics so that later dungeons and raids are more familiar.

The Guildhest functions the same way as a "Duty Finder" in most other MMORPG's, where you join a Guildhest queue and wait until the system has put together a party for you to begin. They can of course be completed by your current party if you have enough players (4+).

Guildhests take place in instanced environments, and usually more rewarding than levequests.

You unlock your first Guildhests at level 10, and new ones every 5 levels after that. There are a total of 10 different Guildhests in FFXIV currently.

The first time you complete a Guildhest, you will also receive a very large bonus on top of the normal rewards. This makes Guildhests very attractive to complete at least once.

Guildhests are usually either to clear an instance, defeat a boss mob, or complete an objective such as attacking a NPC enemy stronghold.

The Primals are a race of beings that are worshipped by the various Beast Tribes of Eorzea. If you have played previous Final Fantasy games, you will recognize that the Primals in FFXIV are all the "Summons". So, we're talking about Ifrit, Bahamut, Titan, Odin, etc. In FFXIV however, they are not going to be fighting for you - they will usually be fighting against you. The first Primal that you will encounter is Ifrit, who is the boss enounter around level 20 - ending the Amalj'aa quest line.

As the Primals can only be summoned by the Beast Tribes that worship them, you can generally assume that you won't see these Primals just wandering around. The only exception to this seems to be Odin, as he has been rumored to be a "wandering Primal". Based on current information, all of the other Primals will be found either in Dungeons, Raids, or as part of special quest lines. They should always be party-based encounters.

Storyline Dungeons:

For FFXIV at launch, there are confirmed 7 storyline dungeons that will be available to players.

There are 4 separate group types for Dungeons in FFXIV: 4-person Dungeons, 8-person Raids, 8-person Primal Raids, and 24-person Raids.

The threat mechanic in FFXIV is called "Enmity". Enmity is tracked by each mob and is based upon your damage per second (to the mob in question) and healing per second (on either yourself or your party members).

The first enmity tracking aspect of the UI will be a red arrow that extends from the aggro'd mob towards the player that is highest on that mob's threat list. Given how much moving around and special effects are present in a party-based fight, this particular UI element is easily missed.

When you are in a party, you will notice a small bar to the left of each character's name. This is the personal threat meter for tracking enmity, and shows the current threat level between the character and the mob that you currently have targeted. The farther the bar is towards being full - the more enmity exists for that character. Generally in a party you will always want your tank character(s) to have the highest enmity (fullest bars).

In addition to the character-specific threat meters, you also have an "Encounter Enmity" window that shows you all of the mobs in the encounter and their threat level for your character. As opposed to the party threat meters, the Encounter Enmity icon by each mob name changes colors based on your current threat level vs. that mob. Here is the breakdown for what each of the colors mean:

It is important to note that when the enemy AI calculates enmity / threat, it only considers damage against that mob. Any damage or taunting being done with other mobs in the encounter will not affect the enmity meters at all. However, when it comes to healing - any heal on yourself or a party member will generate enmity for every single mob in the encounter. Because of this, healers need to be smart about when and when not to heal. If the tank is not holding aggro on all of the encounter mobs, watch your threat meters closely. Make sure that your enmity does not go high enough to draw direct aggro on your character. This is also worth watching for the DPS and Support classes, though to a lesser degree.

"Limit Break" (LB) is an ability that every class has by default, but something that cannot be used unless you are in a party with 4+ players.

The Limit Break bar / gauge fills when party members do damage with attacks or successfully complete a variety of different actions. I realize "variety of different actions" sounds vague, and that's because we really do not have an *exact* understanding of what fills up the LB bar. Besides the obvious increase from doing damage against mobs, we have noticed that the bar fills when a tank successfully blocks or a healer gets a critical on a healing spell. Even taking damage in certain situations seems to increase the LB bar. The in-game help messages about Limit Breaks describe this as "playing well", but there isn't any more concrete information than that.

It is important to note that the LB bar is shared by everyone in the party. As a team you contribute to filling up the LB bar, but when one player uses the Limit Break ability it consumes all of the stored up LB energy. Because of this, communication and teamwork is essential to make sure that people only use the LB at the right times.

Depending on which class uses the Limit Break ability, a different reaction will take place. There are currently 4 known Limit Break effects:

- If a tank class such as Warrior or Paladin uses Limit Break, a protective shield covers the entire party and significantly raises everyone's defenses.- If a melee DPS class such as Lance or Pugilist uses Limit Break, a very high damage ability is unleashed against a single target.- If a caster DPS class such as Thaumaturge or Summoner uses Limit Break, the result is a high damage AOE attack against any enemies in the blast radius.- If a healer class such as Arcanist or White Mage uses Limit Break, all party members are healed for a large amount of HP.

While a full LB bar is something that you should see often in a party, there is also the possibility of a 2nd (or 3rd) LB bar filling up during special circumstances. From what we understand thus far, these situations are likely going to be on final stages of boss fights or specific quest-related situations. As you fill more LB bars to maximum, the resulting Limit Break ability becomes more and more powerful.

Part 14: The Chat System

Regarding the Chat systems, here is a list of the available chat commands & uses:

Chat Modes:There are several chat modes in the game that can be used to communicate with other players. The differences between chat modes are the types of messages that they each display.

SayAny message input in the say chat mode can be seen by any and all players in the immediate vicinity. It is the default chat mode, and messages displayed in this manner will appear in white. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /say or /s. In addition, the active chat mode may be set to /say mode by typing the command /chatmode say, /chatmode s, or /s with no following message, and then pressing the Enter key.

PartyAny message input in the party chat mode can be seen by any and all party members. Messages displayed in this manner appear in blue. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /party or /p. In addition, the active chat mode may be set to /party mode by typing the command /chatmode party, /chatmode p, or /p with no following message, and then pressing the Enter key.

LinkshellAny message input in the linkshell chat mode can be seen by any and all players in the equipped linkshell. Messages displayed in this manner appear in green. Although incoming messages from members of all linkshells in a playerâ€™s possession can be seen, messages sent by a player in this chat mode will go to the active linkshell only. Messages from active linkshell members, including the player, are distinguishable by the linkshell crest icon displayed next to them. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /linkshell or /l. In addition, the active chat mode may be set to /linkshell mode by typing the command /chatmode linkshell, /chatmode l, or /l with no following message, and then pressing the Enter key.

TellAny message input in the tell chat mode can be seen only by a single designated player. Messages displayed in this manner appear in pink. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /tell <PC name>, or /t <PC name>. In addition, the active chat mode may be set to /tell mode by typing the command /chatmode tell <PC name>, /chatmode t <PC name>, or /t <PC name> with no following message, and then pressing the Enter key. Names of PCs must be entered in their entirety (first and last names). * Pressing Ctrl+R opens a /tell chat prompt addressed to the last player from whom a /tell was received. * Pressing Ctrl+T opens a /tell chat prompt addressed to the last player to whom a /tell was sent. Pressing Ctrl+T repeatedly scrolls through the last 20 such players.

ShoutShout chat mode is much like say chat mode, with the sole difference being that messages can be seen by players in a much wider area. Messages displayed in this manner appear in orange. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /shout or simply /sh. Shout mode cannot be set as the active chat mode.

EchoA message input in echo chat mode appears only in the log of the player who inputs that message. Messages displayed in this manner appear in purple. This chat mode is activated by prefacing a message with either /echo or /e. Echo mode cannot be set as the active chat mode.

* All commands must begin with a / (forward slash) and contain only half-width characters (no "special" letters / characters).

Emotes and SignsThis feature allows players to use expressions, gestures, and signs to communicate with other players. The Emote & Signs menu is bound to the N key in the default keyboard setup, and can also be accessed by selecting the second icon from the right on the action bar.Emotes and signs are broken down into: emotes, enemy signs, and ally signs.

EmotesEmotes are a collection of expressions and gestures that can be used to convey the emotional state of your character. Emotes can be accessed by selecting the Emote tab from the Emotes & Signs window, or can be input directly using text commands.

Enemy Signs

While in a party, players can express their various desires regarding enemies in the field. Players can suggest ways of attacking or slowing down specific enemies. Enemy signs can only be used when you are participating in a levequest. Selecting the Enemy Signs tab from the Emotes & Signs window will display the enemy signs list. Select the message you would like to convey to your party members while selecting an enemy with your cursor and your enemy sign will be displayed over the enemy's name. Enemy signs can also be performed through text commands.

Ally Signs

While in a party, players can express various desires to other members of the party or agree with other members' suggestions. Selecting the Ally Signs tab from the Emotes & Signs window will display the ally signs list. Select the message you would like to convey to your party members and your ally sign will be displayed over your name. Ally signs can also be performed with the sign0 to sign7 text commands.

Part 15: The Inn & Rested EXP

Around level 10 or so a quest will become available at the Inn in whatever City-State you are currently in. Completing this quest (which mostly just involves speaking to the NPC), you unlock the ability to rent a room at the Inn.

Once you have entered the Inn, your character will start accruing a Rested EXP bonus. Note that this bonus continues to accumulate even if you go offline. When you next log on, your character will automatically will use the bonus to receive +50% EXP for all combat, crafting, and harvesting experience. This bonus does not affect any quest rewards, so it is not worth saving up a lot of quest turn-ins for when your rested bonus is active. Once a certain amount of experience has been earned with the bonus on, it will disappear and need to be re-accumulated at the inn.

Logging out of the game by right-clicking on the bed and choosing "Log Out" will randomly provide a bonus item when you next log into the game.

When resting at the Inn, you may also notice the Armoire. This functions as a separate storage device from your normal inventory and Armoury Chest. You can store items in this chest that can later be removed by your character, though there are some limitations to what can be stored:

- No damaged items can be stored in the Armoire (all must be 100% durability).- You cannot store more than one of an item (no duplicate names allowed).- If the item has a spiritbound value, it will reset to zero once you put the item into the Armoire.

The Armoire appears to be a magical Armoire, so you can add / remove items from any Inn found in the game. This is regardless of whatever Inn you were staying in when you deposited the item.

There is also a book entitled "The Unending Journey" that can be found in your Inn room. This book allows you to replay any storyline events that you have previously encountered on that character. You can also view a list of completed quests in the book.

Part 16: FFXIV Terminology

FC = Free Company, the guild system in Final Fantasy XIV.

GC = Grand Company, a NPC Faction.

LB = Limit Break, an ability that is available to all classes while in a party of 4 or more players.

LS = LinkShell, glorified chat channels in Final Fantasy XIV. Good for small groupings.

Job = Specialized combat oriented classes. Setting a job on top of one's class severely limits the use of cross class abilities (can only use half the usual number - max of 5 skills at level 50 - and only from specific classes) but allows the use of powerful job-specific abilities and equipment. The main advantage of using a job will be the possibility of specializing on a role (like tanking as a Paladin) for high level party play, while using the regular classes will be advantageous while playing solo or in smaller parties (where things like a Thaumaturge who can heal can prove useful). Jobs change the player's base stats to help fulfill its intended role.

Lala = A football with legs / one of the playable races found in FFXIV.

Levequests = Quests obtained by talking to a Levemete. Each of the 3 starting cities have their own local levemetes (increase every 5 levels). There are 3 types, Battlecraft (kill quest), Fieldcraft (gathering quests), Tradescraft (crafting quests).

Yalm = An Eorzean unit of measurement, similar to a yard. 100 Yalms is 1 "Unit" on in-game Maps.